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Frigate
What it is
Frigate is an open-source network video recorder for IP cameras that performs real-time AI object detection locally on the user's hardware. Its maker says camera feeds never leave the home. With a supported AI accelerator, it can distinguish objects such as people and cars from motion; the site says it can run 100+ object detections per second with that hardware. Frigate tracks objects in real time so users can refine notifications by location. Recording options include retention settings based on detected objects and 24/7 recording. It runs as a Docker container on a Docker host, including as a Home Assistant App. Documentation recommends Docker Compose and says Frigate runs best with Docker on bare-metal Debian-based distributions. The open-source NVR is free. A Frigate+ Subscription costs $50 a year, billed annually, and includes access to Frigate+ models, up to 12 fine-tuned models, and AI-suggested labels for uploads. Windows is not officially supported, and native OIDC, SAML, and LDAP authentication are not implemented.
For and against
For
- Camera feeds stay local, according to the maker.
- Tracks objects for location-based notification refinement.
- Supports 24/7 recording.
- Integrates with Home Assistant and MQTT systems.
- Free open-source NVR.
Against
- Windows is not officially supported.
- Native OIDC, SAML, and LDAP are not implemented.
- Frigate+ costs $50 a year.
The verdict
Frigate provides local camera recording and object detection, with Docker-based deployment and several home automation integrations. Check its platform and authentication limits before choosing a setup.
Who it suits
Frigate suits IP camera users who want local object detection and configurable recordings, particularly those using Docker or Home Assistant. It also offers integrations for Home Assistant, OpenHab, NodeRed, and systems with MQTT support.
Plans and prices
Frigate
Open-source NVR; runs as a Docker container on a Docker host
Read 29 Sep 2026 · github.com
Frigate+ Subscription
Access to Frigate+ models · Up to 12 fine tuned models · AI suggested labels for uploads · Supports open source Frigate
Read 29 Sep 2026 · frigate.video
On the record
- API
- Frigate provides an HTTP API with endpoints covering areas including cameras, classification, events, media and recordings.docs.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Authentication
- Frigate stores user information in its database and hashes passwords with PBKDF2-SHA256 using 600,000 iterations.docs.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Detection speed
- The site says Frigate can run 100+ object detections per second with a supported AI accelerator.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- False positives
- With a supported AI accelerator, Frigate uses object detection to distinguish objects such as people and cars from motion.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Frigate+ limit
- Frigate+ model training supports only specific labels and does not yet allow custom labels.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Home Assistant integration
- The integration provides camera, image, sensor, switch and binary sensor entities, plus browsing for snapshots and recordings.docs.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Installation
- Frigate runs as a Docker container on Docker hosts, including as a Home Assistant App.docs.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- The maker lists Home Assistant, OpenHab, NodeRed and systems with MQTT support as integrations.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says all processing is local and camera feeds never leave the home.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Frigate is an open source NVR for IP cameras that performs real-time AI object detection locally on the user’s hardware.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Recommended setup
- The documentation recommends Docker Compose and says Frigate runs best with Docker on bare-metal Debian-based distributions.docs.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Recording
- Frigate records video with retention settings based on detected objects and supports 24/7 recording.github.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Security limit
- The documentation says Frigate does not implement OIDC, SAML or LDAP natively and can use upstream authentication proxies for those protocols.docs.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Windows support
- Windows is not officially supported, though the documentation says some users have run Frigate under WSL or VirtualBox.docs.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
- Zones
- Frigate tracks objects in real time and lets users refine notifications based on precise locations.frigate.video · read 29 Sep 2026
